O Bride of Nazareth in Galilee,
The hills of Judah are in bloom today,
And trodden chamomile perfumes the way
Of wild iris and anemone.
The winter’s end that prophets longed to see
Wafts on the exhalations of the clay–
O Bride of Nazareth in Galilee,
The hills of Judah are in bloom today.
Today the fig tree’s greening canopy,
Its tender leaves and budding fruit relay
A royal spring that never fades away
Since you declared “Let it be done to me,”
O Bride of Nazareth in Galilee.
Lubna Haddad Walford is a stay-at-home mother and former teacher. She studied English and Classics at Loyola Marymount University and received an M. A. in Classical Languages and Literature from the University of Chicago. She resides in Southern California.